The Department of Education in collaboration with GibSams are bringing to conclusion an 18 month initiative to improve children’s mental health. In 2023 Education and GibSams were successful in their application to obtain funding from Charities Aid Foundation UK (CAF) to further aspects of the Children’s Mental Health Strategy already undertaken and to embark on other initiatives to enhance this development further.

There has been a wide range of projects and initiatives engaged in since 2023.

A multi-agency training day in May 2023, on Person Centred Planning with Jacqui and Colin Newton, the UK team from Inclusive Solutions, brought together over 80 parents and professionals from across different bodies and agencies. The training facilitated discussion and reflection on what we aspire to achieve for our young people, particularly those with additional needs/disabilities, and how to move towards an increasingly inclusive community in Gibraltar. Fifteen individuals then completed 2 days of training with Inclusive Solutions on facilitating “PATH”. This is a forward-looking tool for supporting person-centred planning in a visual and inclusive way, ensuring that the young person’s views and dreams are at the heart of provision. This has since been used both for individual children and for whole school development and has been positively received by all individuals who have been involved.

2023 also saw the launch and maintenance of a stand-alone website to support Gibraltar students in their journey into higher education and primarily abroad, where an element of separation anxiety exists. Some University students can find this process a significant challenge for numerous reasons, leading them to giving up their studies or causing them to face Mental Health challenges.

In November 2023, Gareth Morewood of Studio III delivered a series of workshops on “LASER”, the “Low Arousal Supports Educational Resilience” approach. This included parent sessions, visiting a number of our schools and Learning Support Facilities, a full training day for all staff at St Martin’s School, and strategic planning with the Educational Psychology service and with the Director of Education and the Education Advisory team. The training was very well received and has since been followed up by a second visit from Gareth, and ongoing plans to further embed the Low Arousal approach in our schools.

Over the course of 2024, a number of staff from various schools have completed The Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups course which is run by NurtureUK. One school has already set up their Nurture Group and the aim is to set up Nurture Groups in all their respective schools to support pupils presenting with social and emotional needs.

Funds have also supported the training of 2 people to become fully qualified instructors for Mental Health First Aid Youth. Courses have already been delivered and this will enable MHFA courses to be made available more widely at minimum or no cost for those who work with, live with or support young people. This course teaches the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need. In doing so, we speed up a young person’s recovery and stop a mental health issue from getting worse. Funding has also given a further member of staff access to adult MHFA instructor qualifications - equally important to support each other in the workplace especially within schools, care provision and youth groups where those who work with our most vulnerable children must be the best versions of themselves and have the skills to look after their own mental health not only so that they can set an example for young people, but because they are important too.

Dr Pooky Knightsmith (child and adolescent mental health specialist) has been an important part of the Department of Education’s journey to improve the provision for children’s mental health. Additional funding enabled the senior team at Education to engage Dr Knightsmith in further training on self-harm for educationalists and GibSams listeners, where she delivered a self-care seminar for a diverse group and additionally helped to open the discussion between a range of professionals to review and improve sex and relationships education.

Funding has enabled professionals to benefit from the expertise of other visiting specialists to Gibraltar: Gillian Kirkman and Craig Gill have supported professionals in addressing domestic abuse using an ingenious app - None in 3. Billie Elliot has given specialist advice and training for Safeguarding Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. 

The understanding of trauma and how it impacts on young people is a large and significant workstream. Kathryn Fa, a local expert in trauma, has to date delivered 11 initial courses on Trauma Informed Communication with 2 more funded courses to be delivered this new academic year.

Bereavement is a sad reality of life which has a significant impact on us all at some point in our lives. Many children have to cope with the death of a primary carer, friend or sibling very early on in their lives and their grief is as real as any adult. Grief left unaddressed can lead to significant mental health issues. Losing a loved one through suicide intensifies the complexities of support and grief felt by a child. The Luna foundation, funded by CAF, have recently completed delivering training to over 80 professionals and charities working with children who have been bereaved by suicide.

HMGoG’s Education Team and GibSams are extremely grateful to GibSams for their invaluable collaboration and to CAF for their funding. Through the 18 months of initiatives and projects detailed above, this funding is having and will continue to have a long-term impact on the mental wellbeing of our children in Gibraltar. It is critical that our journey continues. We will never eradicate Mental Health concerns but by empowering and upskilling those working with children and young people we can make things better.

The Minister for Education, the Hon Prof John Cortes, said: “I want to add my own sincere thanks. Protecting and improving children’s mental health is one of our core aims, and the schools and education system are key in this. The support provided has been invaluable. We look forward to more initiatives in the future and to strengthening how we can support children and young people in their journey.”